A New Feeling, Attitude At Miami Airport

FT. LAUDERDALE — Sunlight streams through a slanted glass dome and glints off small cast bronze figures embedded in a terrazzo floor.

An environmental installation recreates the sounds of the Florida Everglades.

Large colored-glass panels cast a playful rainbow of hues across what could have been a standard-issue pedestrian corridor.

These features are all part of the design of Miami International Airport's new Concourse A.

The new concourse, the first in 25 years, accommodates British Airways and 10 carriers from various Latin American countries. It cost $41.5 million to design and build.

Beyond its clean, airy looks, the new Concourse A promises to make travel a bit simpler for business people headed to London and beyond or to Central and South America.

"We've been trying to locate many of the South American carriers in the A or B complex," said Spencer Ballard, director of business management for the airport.

"You get the first-door drop-off into the building," said British Airways commercial manager Brian Tickle, referring to the new wing's location at the entry to the terminal complex.

British Airways is by far the largest airline in the 347,000-square-foot concourse, offering double daily 747 flights to London in the summer.

The British carrier has long lobbied for a passenger club and expanded counter space in Miami. It gets both, at least for a while, in Concourse A. It also gets a quick connection for passengers going on to Latin American cities.

"One of the things British Airways is trying to do is offer more alternatives for flying between Europe and South America," said Dana Clay, a spokeswoman for the airline.

The first flight to use the new concourse was a British Airways jet last month.

Concourse A is opening in phases. Seven of the 11 gates in the first phase are open now, with the other four coming on line as construction is finished on the jetway apron area outside the concourse.

An extension of Concourse A now in the design phase will add nine more gates at a cost of about $33.6 million, said Narinder Jolly, assistant director of airport facilities.

The first phase of the concourse is expected to be used by 9,000 people a day.

In addition to British Airways, the carriers using Concourse A include AeroPeru, Aviateca, Copa, Lacsa, Ladeco, Nica, Servivensa, Taca and Vasp, which fly to Peru, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Honduras and Brazil, respectively.

British Airways also hopes to be joined by its U.S. partner, USAir, in January. The British carrier holds a minority stake in USAir and coordinates its schedules and routes to hand off passengers arriving and departing the U.S.

USAir is on Concourse H; British Airways is on Concourse E. Airport officials say Concourse A is the start of a new image for Miami International, ranked among the least popular U.S. airports because of crowding and design.

Michael Corcoran, vice president of finance for Templeton International in Ft. Lauderdale, said his firm does more trans-Atlantic business with British Airways than any other carrier, but that some employees prefer to fly Delta Air Lines through Atlanta to avoid Miami International.

"I've always told (British Airways) that the big difference to us is whenever they get service to Ft. Lauderdale," Corcoran said.

The new concourse does not have a baggage handling system, Jolly said. Bags coming off planes are carted to the conveyor system in the terminal under Concourse B.

"Concourse A will be supported by a conveyor system in use for many years," Jolly said. "We are not testing any new technology."

Eventually, a baggage conveyor system will be extended under Concourse A.

American hopes to move into the mega-terminal by 2003, occupying not only Concourse A, but also Concourses B and C and an extended Concourse D that together will stretch more than three-quarters of a mile.